The threat of bio-terrorism via the mail is a real and present danger. In the instances where a mail piece has been contaminated with any harmful substance and then processed through the mail, it is often a difficult task to attempt to identify the origin of that mail piece. Typically, such mail pieces can only be traced back, via a postmark, to the postal facility where it had been processed.
Accordingly, there is a growing need to increase the level of security associated with mail submittal. There is also a growing need to be able to trace a mail piece back to its source. The present invention fulfills such needs.